Apparatus for cleaning bottles



March '10, 1931. A, G. EN'OCK 1,795,545

Y APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOTTLES Filed Aug. 3. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. QQMMLMM.

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March '10, 1931. A. G. ENocK APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOTTLES Filed Aug. 5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 igZ.

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Patented Mar. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR GUY ENOCK, F WEMBLEY PARK, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO BUR-LECTAS LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND APPARATUS FOB CLEANING BOTTLES Application filed August 3, 1929, Serial No. 383,209, and in Great Britain August 27, 1928.

This invention relates to bottle-washing apparatus in which the bottles arerwashed inside and/or outside while grouped or contained in crates. Y

The object of the invention is to construct a washing machine in-which the bottles are scrubbed inside .or both inside and outside while contained in the crates of known or ordinary or standard construction (not forming part of the machine) in which they are transported from place to place, without being inverted in the crate and without inverting or reversing the crate before or after the washing operation so enabling the brushing to be done while the bottles are full of water and dispensing with the use of water spraying brushes.

According to the invention the machine is constructed with brushes or scrubbingsurfaces carried` above the path of the crates in overhead rotary holders fitted with gears to rotate the brushes, a stationary runway and intermittently traversing. conveyor chain upon which the crates rest and by which they areintermittently traversed through the machine, a number of cleft pedestals to enter the crates mounted upon a vertically reciproeating member or cross bar by which the bottles are automatically raised in the crates until they are partly or nearly above the top edges of the crate, a spring controlled bottle mouth guide against which when raised the bottle is held during the operation of scrubbing and a cam or its equivalentby which the reciprocating member and with it the bottles are raised into engagement with the brushes or scrubbing surfaces.

The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. l is a longitudinal section of the machine showing the brushes or scrubbing surfaces B and B1, the bottle mouth guides E and E1, the conveyor H for traversing the crates C1 and the lifting pedestals M and lifting cam K1.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section similar to Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan of the rotary brush holders.

50 Fig. 4: is a section of a modification oflifting member for washing the interior of a crate full of bottles.

Fig. 5 is a plan of same.

The machine is constructed-with a casing or framing A supporting gear boxes D2 which enclose the working parts at the top and depending therefrom, brushes vor scrubbing surfaces B for the interior of the bottles C and brushes or scrubbing surfaces B1 for the exterior of the bottles C which brushes are' carried in rotary holders D, D1 rotated by gears cl, Z1 from a shaft Z2 driven by a motor N. The holders D of the interior brushes B are geared together by the gears d and the holders D1 of the exterior brushes B1 are geared together by the gears al1, a continuous rotary movement being given to the brushes.

The brush holders D, D1 are enclosed in the gear boxes D2. Adjacent to each of the'interior brushes B, a spring controlled bottle mouth guide E is fitted which extends below the brush B and is adapted to rise vertically against the pressure of springs e on guide rods e1 and adjacent to each set of the-exterior brushes B1 a spring controlled bottle mouth guide E1 is mounted between the brushes and isadapted to rise vertically against the pressure of a spring c2 on a guide rod e3 which latter when the bottle is raised projects into it. A rotary movement is also given to rod e3 and bottle mouth guide E1 to rotate the bottle during the operation of scrubbing the exterior.

Motion is imparted to the rod c3 by a connecting bar F and cranks f driven from the` shaft cl3 by worm and wheel f1.

Stationary runways G, G1 (preferably of angle iron) are placed at a convenient distance below the brushes B, B1 with traverschain conveyors H, H1 upon which the crates C1 full of bottles C are placed and traversed intermittently; through the machine beneath the brushes. The chain conveyors H, H1 are fitted with upstanding lugs g by which and the conveyors may extend at both ends of the machine` to receive and deliver the crates. and maybe connected with other machines for treating or filling the bottles without removing orihandling. them. VA second the crates are positioned thereonf fer. Y

chain conveyor G3 may be mounted at the delivery end of the machine to convey the crates quickly away. The conveyor centres the bottles in one crate under the interior bottle brushes B and in the next crate under the bottle mouth guide El and guide rod c3.

The chain conveyors H, H1 are moved forward by sprocket wheels g1 on the shaft g2 to which an intermittent motion is imparted to move the crates forward a distance equal to the width of one row of bottles at a time. The shaft g2 is driven from tne driving shaft K by known or suitable intermittent gearing (not shown) which will give the desired step by step or intermittent motion to the conveyor chains and crates.

A number of cleft pedestals M are mounted in rows upon a vertically reciprocating transverse member or plate m below the path of the crates C1 on the conveyor chains H, H1. rlf'he pedestals M enter the bottom of the crates to raise the bottles a row at a time, the cleft or slot m1 in the pedestal avoiding th wire in the bottom of the crate which supports the bottles. The top of each pedestal is preferably dished or countersunk to facilitate the rotation of the bottle thereon during washing of the exterior. rhe transverse member or plate m is fitted with slides m2 which slide vertically between guides m" provided with oil grooves for lubrication. lt is raised intermittently by a cam Kl on the driving shaft K timed to synchronize with the chain conveyors H, H1 when the crates Cl and bottles C are at rest beneath the brushes B, B1. @ne row of pedestals raises a row of bottles for interior scrubbing while the other row of pedestals raises a row of bottles in an adjacent crate for exterior scrubbing.

In the modification shown in Figs. t and 5 the transverse lifting member m2 may carry a plurality of pedestals M2 equal in number to the full number of the bottles in the crate so that the interior scrubbing of all the bottles in the crate may be effected at the same time, a corresponding number of brushes being carried by the gear box. ln this construction, the bottles are first raised by the pedestals M2 until the mouths of the bottles emerge from the top of the crate to engage with and take the weight of the bottle guides. l-,lhen the bottles have been raised to this extent the member m2 engal es the crate and lifts it with the bottles also lifting the frame of the bottle guides as the crate and bottles move up together until the brushes are inside the bottle to the necessary extent. During the whole of this operation the weight of the bottles is carried by the pedestals M2 and not by the crate or its wires.

Spraying jets (not shown) for spraying and filling the bottles with water as they enter the brushing machine are supplied and other spraying appliances for spraying the brushes and the outside of the bottles are also embodied but it does not appear to be necessary to specify these in more detail.

@ne of the special advantages of this machine, in addition to its being able to brush bottles in crates and to convey them with a minimum of breakage and labour, is that the insic e brushing of the bottles is done when the bottles are mouth up and cont-ain water and the whole mass of water is revolved by the brush and the scouring action of the water as well as that of the brush is secured. rl`he scheme of the bottle mouth guide E is also a great advantage as it acts as a brush cleaner in passing up and down the bristles as the bottles rise for brushing. This enables the brush to be kept very much cleaner than would otherwise be the case.

rlhe scrubbing surfaces may be formed of the usual libre or bristle brushes but they may be formed of rubber sheets or pads provided with indentations, corrugations, projecting lines or projecting studs.

Vfhat l claim as my invention and desire to protect by Letters Patent is l. Apparatus for cleaning bottles in portable crates comprising means for conveying crates containing bottles through the machine, overhead brushes or scrubbing surfaces, reciprocating cleft pedestals to enter the bottom of the crates and by which bottles are automatically raised into contact with the brushes, and means for raising the pedestals.

2. Apparatus for cleaning bottles in portable crates comprising a stationary runway, an intermittently traversing conveyor chain thereon upon which the crates rest and by which they are intermittently traversed through the machine, brushes or scrubbing surfaces above the path of the crates, overhead rotary holders by which the brushes or scrubbing surfaces are carried, a plurality of vertically reciprocating cleft pedestals to enter the bottom of the crates by which bottles are automatically raised in the crates into contact with the brushes and spring controlled bottle mouth guides by which each bottle being scrubbed is held during the scrubbing operation and a cam to intermittently raise the pedestals and bottles the desired distance.

3. Apparatus for cleaning bottles in p0rtable crates comprising a stationary runway, an intermittently traversing conveyor chain thereon upon which the crates rest and by which they are intermittent-ly transversed through the machine, brushes or scrubbing surfaces above the path of the crates to enter the bottles,other brushes or scrubbing surfaces above the path of the crates to contact with the exterior of the bottles, overhead rotary holders by which the brushes or scrubbing surfaces are carried, a plurality of vertically reciprocating cleft pedestals to enter the bottom of the crates by which bottles are automatcally raised in the crates in Contact with the brushes, spring controlled bottle mouth guides by which each bottle being scrubbed is held during the scrubbing operation and by which the brushes entering the bottles are cleaned and a cam to intermittently raise the pedestals and bottles the desired distance.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of July, 1929.

ARTHUR GUY ENOCK. 

